Joseph Benavidez vs. Zach Makovsky
The first round began. Both men are southpaws. Benavidez lands a counter left. Both men with low stances. Benavidez stuffs a single. Makovsky side kicks the knee. Benavidez lands a right. 4:00. Benavidez lands a left. Makovsky lands an inside kick and gets a big double, Benavidez stands and breaks. Benavidez eats an eyepoke, Makovsky apologizes and they touch gloves. Benavidez lands a left. Makovsky lands an inside kick. Benavidez lands a hard leg kick and a right hook, another right hook. 3:00. Benavidez lands a right to the body. Makovsky knees the body. Benavidez stuffs a single, kneeing the body. Makovsky landsa counter left. Benavidez lands a right elbow. Makovsky jab. Benavidez lands a nice left and a hard right, fakes a high kick. 2:00. Tries it there grazing. "Don't force that!" Benavidez misses a high kick by a mile. Benavidez lands a hard right to the body, clinch. "Elbows!" They break. Benavidez lands a hard body kick, stuffs a single. 1:00. Benavidez lands a check right hook. His striking under Ludwig does look excellent. Benavidez lands a right elbow and a nice right hook and another and a body kick, Makovsky gets a single. Benavidez stands defending a double. 15 as Makovsky gets it. Gets the back standing, one hook. R1 ends, 10-9 Benavidez but no blowout. R2 began. Makovsky lands a left, Benavidez stuffs a single. Benavidez lands a body kick. Benavidez stuffs a double kneeing the body. Makovsky lands an inside kick. Benavidez lands a body kick, right to the body, knees the body. 4:00. Makovsky lands an inside kick. Makovsky lands a left. Benavidez lands a body kick. Makovsky tries a backfist. Benavidez clips a right. Makovsky gets a double. 3:00. Keeping Benavidez down. Benavidez stands, Makovsky dumps him down, they scramble, Benavidez turtles up, they stand and break. Crowd cheers. Benavidez lands a right and a left. Benavidez lands a right. Makovsky lands a left, tries a single, Benavidez flips him beautifully, turtles up. They stand and break. 2:00. Makovsky lands a leg kick. He blocks a high kick. 1:00. Clinch. Benavidez knees the leg twice then body. They break. 35. Benavidez knees the body, Makovsky catches it for a single, takes the back standing, both hooks. Works on a body triangle. Loses it and the hooks, 15, clinch. Benavidez breaks missing a big right elbow, R2 ends, 10-9 Benavidez. "He's more tired than you," Firas Zahabi says repeatedly to Makovsky. Never, NEVER a good sign.. R3 began. Benavidez knees the body, lands a left. Makovsky lands a counter left. Clinch. They break. "He's tired Zach!" Makovsky lands a counter left. Clinch. They break. Makovsky lands a nice check knee high. Benavidez lands a counter right, drags Makovsky down and turtles him up, they break. Benavidez right to body then head. And a hard right. Makovsky counter left. Benavidez right elbow stuffing a single. 3:00. Benavidez knees the body. Stuffs a single and knees the head. Makovsky inside kick, Benavidez stuffs a double. He's thrown nearly 100 more strikes than Makovsky. They break. Benavidez stuffs a single. Body kick. Benavidez right to body, clinch, 2:00. They break. "Elbow!" Welt udner Zach's left eye. Benavidez lands a big right. And a big left. Makovsky lands a left, eats a right, Benavidez stuffs a double. Benavidez stuffs a double. He lands a hard counter left. Stuffs a single to the clinch, Makovsky knees the body. Eats one. They break. 1:00. Makovsky whiffs a backfist again. Benavidez blocks a high kick, stuffs a double. 35. Benavidez slicing right elbow, clinch. Breaks with a missed one. 15. Benavidez misses a high kick, Makovsky falls to his back, eats a right, R3 ends, 10-9 Benavidez. 30-27 Benavidez clearly. One 29-28 but UD. Speaks classily about Makovsky. "You can't stop me inside fifteen minutes. You can only hope to contain me." "He's very tough, very fast, very fundamental." Talks about a third Demetrious fight. "I don't think Cejudo's earned a shot at the title. Let me fight him for the right to fight Demetrious."